DU beats CC 5-3 to jump back into first place in the WCHA and retain the Gold Pan. What a night. Just after the Pioneers’ Shawn Ostrow was called for tripping at 11:33 of the first period and DU trailing 2-0 (and it could have been 3-0 because CC had a controversial disallowed goal), Jesse Martin comes onto the ice and makes a huge difference.

The Pios kill off Ostrow’s penalty and score four consecutive goals and five of the next six to beat their arch rival before an electrifying atmosphere at Magness Arena.

Read all about it in tomorrow’s paper. My son has a game Sunday morning against the Junior Pioneers at this very rink — a big deal for an 11-year-old, playing in the big barn — so I’m out of here. Thanks for reading.

DU sophomore goalie Adam Murray is tonight’s scheduled starter as the Pioneers begin a two-game series against Alaska-Anchorage. Murray, who started DU’s last game — a 4-3 overtime win at Minnesota State — is making his fourth consecutive series appearance after playing just once from Oct. 15 to Dec. 10. He is from Anchorage and beat the Seawolves 5-3 on Dec. 10 in his hometown.

Murray is 4-1 with a 3.99 GAA and .856 save percentage. Freshman Sam Brittain’s numbers are 10-4-5, 2.15 and .923. The freshman is 0-1-3 in his last four starts.

Meanwhile, the usual suspects make up DU’s first three lines. The fourth line consists of center Nate Dewhurst and Shawn Ostrow and Jon Cook. Scratched are F/D Joey Brehm and C Dan Olszewski. Injured: F Chris Knowlton (ankle).

Please look here after the game for a quick wrap-up, box score and chart.

Freshman Beau Bennett didn’t participate in the orange-lemon shootout at today’s DU practice and I didn’t see him afterward, but the winger will travel with the team to Mankato, Minn., Thursday morning and be available for this weekend’s series against Minnesota State. Bennett, who has missed the past five games, is still nursing a knee injury. He skated at the beginning of practice.

In other news:

— Goalies Sam Brittain and Adam Murray will trade starts against the Mavericks, assistant coach Derek Lalonde told me. Brittain (10-4-4, 2.06, .926) will start Friday, and Murray (3-1, 4.23, .849) will go Saturday. The sophomore has opened the past two series, with the freshman serving as the closer. It’s flip-flopped now.

— Sophomore wing Chris Knowlton, who rolled his ankle in practice this week, will not travel. Senior defensemen/forwards Jon Cook and Joey Brehm will travel and both likely play forward on Friday if Bennett doesn’t play.

— Stud freshman wing Jason Zucker got the lemon today, losing in the final to sophomore D-man Paul Phillips. Junior sniper Luke Salazar also was in jeopardy of losing the shootout game that always concludes the last practice at home before a game. We’ll have a nice spread on Zucker and DU/U.S. World Junior linemate Drew Shore in Friday’s paper.

— Phillips said this about DU moving back to a traditional six-man defensive corps on the heels of William Wrenn’s departure to major junior last week: “It’s always tough to see a teammate go, especially a sophomore and a close friend like William, but it was best for everyone. It really was . . . It’s a little bit easier because you get to practice with a partner all week, and really get to learn how he plays and his tendencies, and you can feed off that.”

— DU coach George Gwozdecky is at an NCAA convention today and will meet the team in Mankato on Thursday.

In today’s college hockey notes in the paper, we had DU coach George Gwozdecky talking about freshman wing Beau Bennett’s lingering knee injury. Gwoz wasn’t sure if Bennett would participate much in Monday’s practice.

Today, I got word that Bennett is doubtful for this weekend’s series at Minnesota State. He already has missed five games since injuring the knee on rutted ice Dec. 3 at Minnesota-Duluth, and now he’s probably going to miss two more.

Sophomore wing Chris Knowlton also isn’t expected to travel to Mankato, Minn., on Thursday. He turned an ankle in practice. Good thing U.S. World Junior teammates Drew Shore and Jason Zucker are back with the Pioneers, but once again, the fourth line could be of the duct tape variety. Can you say, “Jo-EY, Jo-EY!” (as in Brehm _ a k a “Rudy”).

Also learned today that goalies Sam Brittain and Adam Murray might again rotate starts over the weekend. They each got a start in the past two sets at Alaska-Anchorage and against Northern Michigan, with Murray going 2-0 and Brittain 0-0-2. Of course, Brittain was the workhorse during the first half of the season and is competing with Zucker, among others, for the WCHA rookie of the year award.

Pioneers were terrific tonight at both ends of the ice, but 6-foot-5 freshman goalie Jared Coreau was awesome and the Crimson and Gold settled for a 2-2 tie with Northern Michigan at Magness Arena.

Pios outshoot NMU 47-13 … By himself, David Makowski nearly matches the Wildcats’ total shots, as the freshman D-man had 10. Makowski scored a PP goal midway through the third to tie it at 2. Captain Kyle had the first goal on a excellent shorthanded semi-breakaway.

DU senior Joey Brehm played well and probably earned himself another shot as a fourth-line forward. He was making his collegiate debut. He had no shots and committed a penalty, but he was otherwise effective in his role. Coach Gwoz was pleased. We’ll have more on that in an upcoming blog or Tuesday’s notes (paper). Please check on Sunday’s game story.

DU concludes a two-game nonleague series against visiting Northern Michigan tonight at Magness Arena, and Joey Brehm is in the house — and donning the gear. The senior, 22, will be making his collegiate debut.

In the Pioneers’ 11-forward, seven-defensemen lineup, Brehm and fellow senior defenseman-turned-forward will be fourth-line wingers. DU is missing forwards Drew Shore and Jason Zucker (both playing for U.S. World Junior team) and Beau Bennett (knee injury).

Brehm is the pride of Edina (Minn.) High School, which he captained to a fifth-place finish at the 2006-07 Minnesota state hockey tournament. He is the only current DU player to join the program straight from the high-school ranks.

You have to appreciate guys like Brehm. The affable young man is undoubtedly the “Rudy” of this program. He won’t play much tonight, but let’s hope he gets a goal, an assist, a big hit … something special.

DU freshman wing Beau Bennett suffered what was thought to be a serious knee injury in Friday’s 5-4 overtime victory at top-ranked Minnesota-Duluth. He missed Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Bulldogs.

The Pioneers returned to Denver today and team spokesman Erich Bacher said Bennett’s injury might not be as bad as first feared. They’re listing it as a knee sprain, and he will be reevaluated Monday or Tuesday.

While unfortunate, the injury comes at the best time of year. DU visits Alaska-Anchorage this weekend and is then idle until Dec. 31, when it begins a series against Northern Michigan. DU then has a bye week and resumes Jan. 14 at Minnesota State. Bottom line: If Bennett needs a month to recover, he’ll only miss four more games.

His candidacy for the U.S. World Junior team, however, is probably in doubt. The 28-man preliminary roster will be announced Tuesday.

DU draft-eligible freshman center Nick Shore was one of seven NCAA players to receive an “A rating” by NHL Central Scouting this week. The rating means Shore is “a must-see player who is predicted to be a potential first or second-round draft selection in the upcoming NHL entry draft,” according to CS.

Shore, however, currently isn’t the player the scouts think he is. Shore’s best asset is his giant shot, but the 18-year-old can’t shoot the puck with any velocity right now. He returned from a nine-game absence last Friday against Minnesota State and played the two-game series with a stiff brace on his right wrist. He broke the wrist in the Oct. 8 season-opener at Vermont.

The brace hinders his ability to pass and shoot, but Shore is unconcerned that playing that way may hurt his draft status. (Then again, perhaps the scouts will grade him higher in character.)

“It’s not really something I’m thinking about,” he told me while preparing for this weekend’s series against Bemidji State. “I’m just thinking about going out there Friday and Saturday and do the best I can with what I’ve got.”

Shore went from a cast to a brace before the Minnesota State series. In practice the other day he was passing better, but he’s still not shooting – only flipping the puck into the net.

“Makes it easier, a lot more comfortable,” he said of the removable brace. “It’s not the ideal situation, but at the same time it’s nice to get back on the ice and contribute in other ways. Forecheck, penalty kill, just trying to be more of a facilitator. I’m not really looking to shoot the puck.”

The other young NCAA players getting A grades were freshmen Michael Mersch and Frankie Simonelli of Wisconsin, North Dakota’s Dillon Simpson, Boston University’s Adam Clendening and Matt Nieto and Northeastern Jamie Oleksiak.

DU junior forward Dustin Jackson is 48 hours shy of playing in his first game since March 27, 2009.

Jackson, who broke his leg in September 2009 and came down with mononucleosis this past September, is finally practicing this weekend without the orange “no crush” sweater.

The Pios, who host Bemidji State this weekend in the first WCHA two-game series between the teams, could really use the size (6-foot-3, 205 pounds), banging ability and leadership from the 24-year-old alternative captain from Omaha, Neb. His last appearance in a DU sweater was against Miami at the 2009 NCAA Tournament West Regional at Maricucci Arena in Minneapolis.

DU scores its, ahem, sixth power-play goal of the season with 5:49 left in regulation to beat Minnesota State 3-2 tonight at Magness Arena. Freshman David Makowski got the goal, his first of the season, with a slapper from the left point. The Pios are now 6-of-49 on the PP.

“Great pass by Johnny Lee and just finally good to get that monkey off my back,” Makowski said. “Definitely a big confidence booster.”

Drew Shore and Luke Salazar had DU’s other goals. Freshman wing Jason Zucker didn’t get a point, but he was fantastic. He had two shots clang off the left post, and eight other shots that required saves. He had five shots in the third period.

Some other quick player notes: D John Ryder made some HUGE hits, D Matt Donovan (assist, five shots) again proved why he’s NHL material with his beautiful helper on Sal’s goal, and freshman Jarrod Mermis had a nice game. The bad news: forwards Anthony Maiani, Beau Bennett, Chris Knowlton, Shawn Ostrow, Nate Dewhurst and Mermis still haven’t put the biscuit in the basket.

David Makowski. Pioneers freshman defenseman got the game-winning goal, his first career tally.

Matt Donovan. The NHL-bound defenseman had an assist and five shots.

What you might have missed

DU freshman center Nick Shore of Denver made his career debut at Magness Arena, wearing a protective wrist brace that limited his stick-handling and shooting. The brother of sophomore center Drew Shore broke his wrist in the season opener at Vermont and missed the previous nine games.

DU coach George Gwozdecky had several good-news updates for me today. They include:

— Freshman center Nick Shore could play Friday against Minnesota State. Shore, who broke his right wrist on opening night, is scheduled to have his hard cast removed today or tomorrow. He will test a playing brace in Friday’s morning skate and warmup.

— Freshman forward Justin Jones, the son of former NBA player Popeye Jones, has been academically cleared. He practiced with the team for the first time since opening night on Wednesday. DU is recruiting his blue-chip brother, Seth Jones, a 6-foot-4 defenseman for the U.S. under-17 team. The Joneses played youth hockey in the Denver area before, during and after Popeye played and coached for the Nuggets.

— Sophomore defenseman Paul Phillips has been cleared. He missed the past four games after nasal surgery. Gwozdecky said he and his staff are deciding is they’ll go with seven D-men on Friday, a lineup they used frequently last season and wanted to use this season before sophomore William Wrenn suffered a hamstring injury before the opener.

Also …
— Freshman goalie Sam Brittain will start Friday, and, same as last week, “see how it goes,” Gwozdecky said. In other words, he’ll also start Saturday if he plays well in Game 1.

I didn’t learn much from DU practice today. Much-needed junior wing Dustin Jackson and freshman center Nick Shore are still wearing orange “no-crush” jerseys, and coach George Gwozdecky didn’t have an injury update because he was in Toronto on Tuesday and hadn’t met with trainer Aaron Leu.

Jackson has missed the entire season because of mono and Shore hasn’t played since breaking his right wrist on opening night. Shore is still wearing a cast, but his older brother, Drew, said Nick was scheduled to see the doctor before this weekend’s series against visiting Minnesota State.

As for Friday’s starter between the pipes, Gwozdecky said he is “leaning towards” freshman Sam Brittain, who was pulled after allowing five goals in last Saturday’s 9-2 massacre at Colorado College.

Freshman center Nick Shore (wrist), sophomore defenseman Paul Phillips (nasal surgery) and junior wing Dustin Jackson (mono) won’t play this weekend for the Pioneers. But all three practiced in orange this week and are getting close.

Don’t know about when Shore is getting the cast off, but sounds like Phillips and Jackson will return next weekend at home against Minnesota State.

“It’s great to be back out there,” said the 6-foot-3 Jackson, who has missed all eight games, and all of last season (broken leg). “I’m just trying to find my step. I’m just happy to be out there . . . Hopefully Mankato.”

Jackson looked super good in the offseason, so even though he hasn’t played in a game since March 2009, he trained hard before mono took another chunk out of his career. He’ll be a factor.

Shore didn’t want to talk to me today. As Bono of U2 said at the old McNichols Sports Arena during the 1986 Joshua Tree Tour, “Am I bugging you? I don’t mean to bug ya.” Poor kid is getting sick of me asking the same questions.

Phillips told me his nose-bleeding episode started at the worst possible time – when he was delivering a speech during debate class! As we previously wrote, “Phil” got an sinus infection and blew so hard he ruptured a blood vessel, and ultimately required surgery to cauterize the thing. Nasty. Phil needs to get back so DU can go with a preferred seven D.

And finally, captain Kyle Ostrow has been moved to center. No biggie. ‘Strow is a versatile dude.

“I played center my whole life before I came here,” he told me. “It’s a little different, more defensive responsibility. But losing a guy like Jesse, a lot of us will have to step up. I’ll step up and play my role at center. I’m up for the challenge.”

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association media poll, now produced by Minnesota-Duluth radio guy Bruce Ciskie, was released Wednesday. We ran most of it in today’s paper, but didn’t include all the players receiving votes.

For what it’s worth, I voted for F Jason Gregoire as preseason player of the year and F Jason Zucker as preseason rookie of the year. Gregoire, a North Dakota junior, was supposed to play at Denver and Zucker is beginning his freshman season at DU. Gregoire, who signed his letter of intent to attend DU but changed his mind before mailing it, only recieved one other vote, and I was the only one who voted for Zucker.

My reasoning: I thought Gregoire was UND’s top end-to-end forward last season, partly evidenced by his team-leading 20 goals. I won’t be surprised if he nets 30 this season for a better team. And Zucker, although undersized, has a ton of international experience and is a fierce competitor. He was the youngest kid on the gold-medal winning U.S. World Junior Team last year and I think his experience will help him avoid the usual freshman adjustment. So I think he’s going to play like a sophomore.

It’s no secret DU athletic director Peg Bradley-Doppes spends much of her time trying to find a new conference for the school’s core sports, primarily the men’s basketball team. The Sun Belt Conference just doesn’t work.

But in my meeting with Bradley-Doppes recently, she said she is just as concerned about the future conference of the hockey team, the school’s flagship program. The Pioneers have been with the Western Collegiate Hockey Association since the program began in 1949, and the league is considered the best in the business. But marquee members Minnesota and Wisconsin could ultimately bolt the WCHA and join Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State in a six-team Big Ten hockey conference, backed by the almighty dollar of the Big Ten’s TV deal.

Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State play in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and Penn State is reportedly destined to apply for Division I from club level, giving these Big Ten schools the necessary six teams to form a league and be eligible for the postseason.

So what if this thing goes through? Traditional powers DU and North Dakota, not to mention CC, would lose its two, big-name, big-draw schools and the WCHA and CCHA would be left scrambling for the scraps.

If you’re DU or North Dakota, you’re going to be welcomed with the likes of Notre Dame and Miami of the CCHA, and Minnesota-Duluth, St. Cloud State and CC of the WCHA. Not bad company. I’m sure Nebraska-Omaha could squeeze in there to make it a solid, eight-team league — probably under the WCHA banner. But let’s face it, that Denver-based loop would miss heavy-hitting UM and UW, and it would probably have to take in the other Minnesota schools — Minnesota State and Bemidji State — to balance things nationally, especially if the so-called Big Ten boys stick to just six teams.

I’m not completely against this realignment, but I would miss writing regularly about Minnesota and Wisconsin. Then again, the Big “Six” would have to go huge with non-conference scheduling, and if you’re DU, you’re an ideal non-conference partner. That means we’d get Michigan and Michigan State to come to Denver to play the Pios. And you know what? In my 15 years of covering college hockey, that has never happened.

Regardless, this thing is going to require a bunch of time to play itself out. For now, think of it as a positive. NCAA hockey might get Penn State. That’s good stuff.

Albany, N.Y. — DU arrived here Wednesday afternoon. I finally got to town this morning, after being stuck in Chicago overnight. No worries. I’m writing from the Times Union Center, host of the NCAA Tournament East Regional, and the first team to practice today, RIT, is doing so right now. I haven’t missed anything.

The top-seeded Pios, who play fourth-seeded RIT on Friday, will hit the ice in about 30 minutes. I’ll report back after they skate.

For now, let’s talk about the Tigers, regular-season and playoff champions of the Atlantic Hockey Association. After watching practice, I noticed this team is a typical Air Force-like squad. Decent talent, not much size, and given their record and accomplishments, they undoubtedly will be tough opponent on an NHL-size rink. This is a small sheet, used regularly by the Albany River Rats, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes.

RIT is on a 10-game winning streak, which most people would consider a big deal. However, when I look back on DU’s 10-game winning streak that ran from Jan. 29 to Feb. 27, I think back on how it ended, and where the Pios are right now. It ended March 5 at home against CC, in what at the time was DU’s biggest game of the season. The Pios win that game and they parade around Magness Arena with the Gold Pan and the MacNaughton Cup. Instead, they’re perhaps too confident (that would be overconfident), too expectant to just show up and play great, and they lose against a team that flat-out digs deeper. My point: I think DU — which is 3-3 in its last six games — is as hungry as it has been all season. I expect the Pios to return to basic blue-collar preparation principles and come out flying Friday. Not saying they’ll win, just sayin’ they’ll play with pride.

My final 10-game winning streak comparison is this: RIT’s consecutive wins came against Army (two), Canisius (three), Air Force (two), UConn (two) and Sacred Heart. Two of those wins were in overtime at home against AFA and UConn. Only the Army games were outside Rochester.

DU’s 10 consecutive wins came over North Dakota (two), Mercyhurst, Air Force, Minnesota (two), Michigan Tech (two) and Minnesota State (two). Five of the 10 were on the road, including OT wins at AFA and MSU.

The cover of DU’s postseason media guide is a team picture with the MacNaughton Cup. Everyone is smiling and appears happy. But if you look at the edges of the photo, there are no fans at Magness Arena. That’s because this is a retake, presumably after practice last week.

The original picture with the MacNaughton Cup was shot March 5, after DU’s first home game following it’s Cup-clinching victory at Minnesota State on Jan. 27. But on March 5, the Pios had just lost to CC 2-1, and everyone was frowning. I haven’t seen that picture but I remember how the boys looked from the press box.

DU is today traveling to St. Paul, Minn., for this weekend’s WCHA Final Five, but I’ve requested to have the original picture sent to us, and hopefully we’ll get the pictures posted here side-by-side.

Denver coach George Gwozdecky questioned a call in the first period against the Colorado College Tigers at Magness Arena March 5, 2010. (Photo by Karl Gehring, The Denver Post)

(NOTE: My Tuesday notes were trimmed because of space. Here is the full version:)

Hoping to lessen his team’s psychological load heading into this weekend’s regular-season-ending series against Colorado College, University of Denver coach George Gwozdecky caught himself looking ahead.

Before last Saturday’s series finale at Minnesota State, Gwozdecky remembers thinking of how nice it would be to take the Western Collegiate Hockey Association championship equation out of the CC series. To do that, the top-ranked Pioneers needed to sweep the Mavericks, and DU captain Rhett Rakhshani made that happen with an overtime goal with 13 seconds remaining.

The 4-3 victory gave DU its 12th MacNaughton Cup as league champion and sends the Pioneers into their rivalry weekend with alleviated pressure.

“Having won it last weekend certainly allows us to define our focus, if you will, for this weekend’s games _ it’s just on the rivalry and the importance of the Gold Pan,” Gwozdecky said Monday. “That’s where the bulls-eye is, where our only focus is . . . the (MacNaughton Cup) is the most difficult and challenging championship in all of college hockey, and it hasn’t been easy, but now we move on.”

DU beat and tied CC in December and needs one win or two ties to reclaim the Gold Pan for the first time since 2005.

Banner season. The Pioneers, who are on a NCAA-leading 10-game winning streak, haven’t lost since Jan. 23 (at Wisconsin). The streak has shaped what could end up being one of the finest seasons in WCHA history. DU’s four league losses are tied for second fewest since the WCHA went to a 28-game schedule in 1997. North Dakota went 24-2-2 in 1998-99, and the 2000-01 Sioux and 2002-03 Tigers only lost four times in league play.

WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod credits much of DU’s success to Rakhshani, the league’s scoring leader, fellow senior forward Tyler Ruegsegger and junior goalie Marc Cheverie. “DU obviously has been able to maintain more continuous momentum throughout the season, and (Cheverie) has distinguished them from other teams, as well as the veteran part of things,” McLeod said. “Rakhshani and Ruegsegger, it just seems like when something is really on the line, they deliver. It’s kind of an oddity to have guys of that caliber playing as seniors, completing four years in college.”

Footnotes. McLeod said the MacNaughton Cup arrived at his Denver-based offices Monday and will be presented to the Pioneers before or after Friday’s game at Magness Arena. . . . Gwozdecky did not have an updated status of defenseman Chris Nutini, who missed last weekend’s series with an ankle injury.

DU has had just one (tie and loss at Wisconsin), and has otherwise produced a splendid season. The Pios are 18-4-4 in league play, and clinched the title with two games to play. Those two games are Friday at Magness Arena and Saturday at the Colorado Springs World Arena in the regular-season ending series against CC.

Friday should be a blast. WCHA commish Bruce McLeod will present the MacNaughton Cup to DU before or after the game, a contest in which has huge ramifications for Front Range pride. The Pios have the chance to parade around the ice with the Gold Pan AND the MacNaughton Cup.

Although DU clinched the WCHA regular-season title last Saturday with Rhett “Rocket” Rakhshani’s OT goal at Minnesota State, and typically there is a letdown in the winning teams’ ensuing game, the Pios are hungry for the Gold Pan. Nobody on their team has won it.

Two years ago, CC won the MacNaughton Cup and Gold Pan during this season-ending, home-and-home set, and the Tigers had a blast in front of their rivals. CC won’t go down easy. Winning (or reclaiming) the Gold Pan could end up being its biggest accomplishment of the season. The Tigers, who have lost four in a row and are 5-10 since Dec. 30, have to begin the WCHA playoffs on the road, and if they don’t win the league tournament, they won’t make the NCAA Tournament.

None of that matters Friday. It’s all about the Gold Pan, and for DU, the MacNaughton Cup too. My money is on DU. The Pios chucked a huge weight off their chests by clinching the Cup. Now it’s all about the Pan. If the Cup is presented after the game, DU doesn’t want to accept it after a loss.

DU has so many reasons to come out flying. CC has a couple too, but that’s far easier to do when confidence is high. DU is on a 10-game winning streak.

DU will be without the services of junior defenseman Chris Nutini in this weekend’s possible MacNaughton Cup-clinching series at Minnesota State. However, the Pioneers will welcome the return of junior center Jesse Martin and freshman defenseman William Wrenn.

DU coach George Gwozdecky said Nutini, who suffered an injury to his right ankle last Saturday, is “still hobbling around, still using a crutch to take weight off the area. We’re hoping he makes a lot of progress over the next four or five days. Could be a week, could be two-to-four weeks.”

Martin (shoulder) and Wrenn (hip) return after missing the past seven and eight games, respectively. Both are expected to play Friday, and Gwozdecky said he again will probably go with an 11-forward, seven-defenseman lineup.

Meanwhile, DU will clinch the MacNaughton Cup as WCHA regular-season champion with a sweep at MSU. The Pioneers could also clinch with a split, but in any case, they won’t parade around with the Cup in Mankato.

“If we’re fortunate to be able to win it, we certainly will have it presented at some point where we’re at home,” Gwozdecky said. “Your home town needs to see the trophy, not the opposing team and their fans.”

Kensler joined The Denver Post in 1989 and has covered a variety of beats, including Colorado, Colorado State, golf, Olympics and the Denver Broncos. His brush with greatness: losing in a two-on-two pickup basketball game at Ohio State against two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin.

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.